Last week as i was chilling at Port bell drive Music I happened to land into a conversation with Nase Avatar on music production and later with Analytical Alz on more ideas of beat making, which was quite insightful. We spoke of Beats, Instrumentation and hip Hop production in general. The conversation didn’t really center around who a beat maker and a producer is?. We all assumed unconsciously that the two are of course different. We were having a casual conversation that we strike every time we are in studio.

How is That Up important?

Well if you didn’t know Nase Avatar is a full-time producer at Port Bell Drive and Analytical Alz is more occasional a producer and in most cases will be called a Beat maker. Doesn’t make sense right?

Then Lets Move on with the Difference between A beat Maker and A Producer:

A Beat Maker is …..

“Usually this is the person who sells or leases the beat to an artist before ideas, lyrics, arrangements, etc. are done. This person has no influence on how the record turns out or the direction of the project. Once you get the beat, exclusivity not a lease, your pretty much done with this person until your album is released.” Extracted from IndieHipHop.net

So the Beat Maker, is that guy who pretty much lays the first instrument, develops the bass, lead drums and puts the melodic instruments to form what you call a beat or instrumental. In most cases has even no idea how a rapper will jump on it. The beat maker then should be called the first Baker who prepares the dough for the cake. In Tucker HD’s Voice., “Ya Dig”

Moving on

A Producer Is….

As we spoke with Nase he mentioned something about Dre and the likes of Timberland, (the two are American Producers). Our conversation was about ideas that producers over see or influence on a “record.” This explanation can try to define a Producer, ” A producer has many roles that may include, but are not limited to, gathering ideas for the project, selecting songs and/or musicians, coaching the artist and musicians in the studio, controlling the recording sessions, and supervising the entire process through mixing and mastering.” From an online forum Via Future Producers.com

The producer is the guy with the icing as regards making of the song after the beat was produced. He is responsible for making Rapper X and Vocalist K sounding amazing on the beat by Beat Maker B( Not for Baru though)

But isn’t Beat Making Part of the Production Process? Don’t Producers Beat Make?

When i left the studio I remembered ALZ telling me of Jah Lil Beats’ (American Beat Maker’s) story. And I immediately recalled we have Baru Beatz here locally. I am sure Baru before producing a whole song with the lyrical and other important details was a beat maker. Now the boy / Young King Now is an in-house producer at Dustville Records. A beat maker some times could have his hands on the whole production process and literally he becomes a young producer as it sounds like. A producer technically does the mixing and mastering, and may influence where which verse and hook should be. He is the GUY at Post Beat Production in most cases.

I use Baru because he was once a typical beat maker and now a producer ,who has mastered the craft of now making a full song. ALZ on my way out he speaks of how he is much more interested in making beats than the whole production phase. Dang! This got me thinking, yes beat makers contribute to the first step and the producer continues with the beat made.

How Comes we don’t get to hear of Beat MAkers?

Beat makers don’t seem to get credited in most cases especially if the final track comes from a popular studio or even the fact that it is from that studio X its made by Producer G. Do you remember one of the reasons for Who Killed Hip Hop?; stealing beats!

Is the Conversation Still On?

Of course not, As i wrote this i considered two things; one some people can’t differentiate the two individuals, and two it’s not clear for some if a beat maker can be a producer or the other way round.

As the rapper had declared a couple of weeks ago, “After Love from Venus i will take a break” to do other things, personal as they seem to be. The Internet was convinced (before she made this statement on Sanyu FM) that she was retiring for good. No gimmicks we think the break actually happened and she is back “like she left” announcing a full event to release the tape which will most likely feature Msinde and Komwyewo FT St Nelly Sade.

For Now All Eyes on LFV and whether it is leyyygo or not should be a matter of the next future after the release.

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It’s about four months since S.T.R.A.P last released new music. In that sense pretty much any release; early January he released Listenwith Big Sam. STRAP had a fully packed abstract album last year an hypothetical journey that he presented, which stems directly from Oblivion as regards its abstractness. Futuristic past to me will always be a point of reference to his music as regards chronicling his own history, his philosophical imaginations and interpretations of humanity but not the political correctness that swirls in his art always.

How is it important here? Oblivion is important a project too even more political, and it is the actual back drop for Judgement Day (listen to 360 motion as he ). Futuristic past has the unusual but yet well brush stroked abstractness and the Persona well-grown and developed a contrast of him self prior to FP. It has top-notch production and , to phrase in familiar lingo – dope production. The two points in mind is the product this track comes from.

And now the reasons….

“Say Hello to the Great Sky”

1. The song has some highly sophisticated (*) production which is a good marker for UG Hip hop. Aren’t we trend setters? Think about it. Bigg Kid graces the track with his amazing production, melody, and spirituality is the outcome.

2. S.T.R.A.P backs up the track perfectly, to allow the anger, the serious mood being set to escape the absurdity that the track seeks to clear up. He evokes spirituality, self-reflection, agony and entreat with his auto tuned, ” Oh no noo noo oh” – You remember the familiar melodic back up onListen

“Blood on the streets when the young die/ Vultures on the hub I can see them fly”

3. Political correctness is all over this one. As an artist he seeks to explore issues that he thinks (for the matter of how he sounds) should be reexamined, re thought before judgement day. S.T.R.A.P. is questioning the authority we give leaders, what we do to survive and the power of Control systems. (I hope i tried there, and well there is a line that references Game of Thrones, an American TV Series (♦))

“The Price to be a leader…”

4. More political correctness, the ills that Third world countries suffer such as Post election Violence, political betrayal are hinted on. S.T.R.A.P also gives his hopefulness for his people to get something to their name; this explains the reference “third world eminence”. Crime, Violence, Selfishness, and the need to read between the lines pervades the song.

5. Abstractedness, as the usual meal is from a STRAP NKoba song or body of work. It’s weird he metaphorically references his name Nkoba on the hook but not STRAP or Sound That Roars African Pride (that’s what S.T.R.A.P is in full). He stands as a representative of his people (Ugandans most likely), a symbol of empowerment because as them he is “born for greatness”

“My other half taking care of ma seed / While am gone to think about it Am a locked up free Man/ Waiting for my Judgement day to come back home.

6. Am a locked up free Man. Yes i feel like this line is another reason you should listen to the song. It hints on the prison most of us are trapped in and the next line in 7 below, explains the desensitized generation we live in, that we are lured and tranced. STRAP always has a thing for ‘rewind and re listen lines’. The mood and manner which he says it at this score justifies it all. Once again the manner which he says, ” Am a locked up free man”, makes you want to think about your own self or our time where captivity is the new “Freedom”

7. Is Bil Cosby really Pill Cosby?… I don’t know!, And of course good lyricism is what embodies this track, a little story telling but well layered bars making it a narrative to Selfish governments, misuse of power, crime, and the nothingness of life when it isn’t serving good purposes.

Take the blue pill, you wake up tomorrow and believe whatever you want. Take the red pill, and we see how deep the pudding snack goes.. Source:http://imgur.com/gallery/W0dKWnt

That line above in 7 seems to be the most important as regards understanding Mr. Nkober’s meaning of Judgement day. The Play on Pill Cosby and Bill Cosby annotates to the American Stand up comedian’s not so recent allegations ofBill Cosby … pursuing women for sex using power, pills and money. If You followed the Oblivion very well the Blue and Red Pill theory is hinted on. This play on words helps to explain the opportunistic MAN that we are and live with, no conspiracy though This is a message from the oppressed if you asked me. The consolation is that there is judgement day on the way but how Shall you be prepared for it?

Listen To Judgement Day:

Please Leave your views on what you think of this post, or more annotations we might have missed that are important in the Comment Section..

NOTE:

First To under stand the blue and red pill theory, re-listen to MephobiaoffOblivionand also pay attention toH.O.L which some how resonates with the themes on J D. he raps saying “Little kids addicted to pills…”

Secondly this isn’t a song review! It’s a gesture of it and the seven key points (Annotations) that make the track so important.

(*)Amazing and not easy to understand because it is still amazing.

(♦)The series chronicles the violent dynastic struggles among the realm’s noble families

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AJO is set to release his No Apologies EP (as am writing 14 days from now), and will be his second full length release, it is to serve as a follow-up of his debut Mixtape Rap Music I Sing / RMIS. The mixtape had a number of tracks that got utmost rotation especially Back Down Ft Lethal and Hannz Tactiq. He Featured a number of known artists like Lethal, Hannz, O.P.U, So Severe (on What do I rap For), and others on that project which gave him a clear sphere to push on with his raw talent. This seems like a solo project but well guest appearances from Akongo, Essie and Nina MC are to be expected.

The EP will have 12 tracks including the Intro

Now on No Apologies just like RMIS he dedicated his time and work to have his EP worked on by one sole studio, Port Bell drive Music. RMIS was 90 % babied from Yego Productions. This said has given AJO a chance to explore new sounds and approaches to his career, with various producers on this project including Nase Avatar, Alz, and others. For now we can listen to Kamikaze (which was a popular song released last year and a video shot for ) and Freak A free style as we wait for the whole project to drop on 18th May, 2016. * Date was changed to 27th May, 2016*

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This is a mind-blowing episode; I put together questions for Stone Town aka Papa Stoney to answer on sampling, what came out is what we need you to listen to. Stone Town reveals a lot of information on the art form-Sampling, his favorite samples and informative details.He even went a head to drop a hint on what Payne Keelah is up to so far. HE was objective as possible and i was surprised he is so full of humor ( he has hip hop jokes I mean).

All songs that featured on this episode are purely inspired by samples or lets say are a product of sampling from Tucker HD- Ug on My Chest , S.T.R.A.P. , Keko-Bright Lights, and Lyrical Proof-Kilasiku and Nabye Show. And when you hear TwaWambye in a song you surely know thats Stone Town behind it

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In the most unprecedented events that happened at Makerere University, on Monday, 18 April of one academic, Stella Nyanzi who stripped naked as a protest to reclaim office and left many mesmerized, confused, shocked and contemplative. The story is quite so not hip hop or not at all poetry. Click here for the full story. However creative minds are always on the look out, a poem graced our in-box written in reaction to the event as a rhetoric to what this specific poet felt about the situation. It is wiser to let the piece speak for its self.

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On Episode 10 Tushi Polo premiered her new song Bitter Past which is a very personal song and yet relate-able by any one. She prefers to let you listen to the song (as she revealed on the show) and vibe to it if you can within the confines of the experience she presents.The song is produced and recorded at Urban Aksent ( Benricktheproducer‬ ) with well laid out snares and string sounds that allow her to give the track uninterrupted delivery. Melody from the strings making you nostalgic is evident as she feeds us with the Bitter past.

Bitter past was inspired by a true story of a young girl who struggles
on a daily to battle life trials, fear,pain, rejection, mental
enslavement that she witnessed as she grew up living the side B of
life. —Tushi Polo

This track is so pure from an experience that whether hypothetical or not elevates you to the level of wanting to burst out of the confines whatever is holding you to trying to sing along; hum some lines with her. Do listen to it!

Like this:

Last week was amazing as I had Nase Avatar discuss The Art of Sampling with me, as he revealed a lot of insightful information.

That being said, now on this Episode 10, I have an entertaining Chat with the young rapper Tushi Polo. The conversation revolves around her career, projects, inspirations and several influences. Tushi goes a head to premier Bitter Past her new song and its specific inspiration. It’s an amazing experience on this one because this young rapper is one weird one, with an uninterrupted persona and confidence she makes my time enjoyable on the show. Information of a probable EP is revealed so you are safe to get this episode.

This Episode was powered by IM Music, recorded and produced by NuveySHAWN at IM Music. Special thanks to all of you who listen to our podcast, you can leave a message in the comment section of what you think of this episode.

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PODCAST GUIDE

Hi
Welcome to the first Ugandan Online radio and Blog DedicaTED To HipHop, Poetry and Spoken Word in the 256.

#HipHopUgandaLiveShow is our recent Podcast Show which is available for Download via NuveyLive Radio Freely.
Show include's interviews with Hip Hop Artists like St Nelly Sade, Lyrical G, The Sphynx, BaruBeatz, AJO and More. And Its Hosted By NuveySHAWN (@ayellahr)

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PODCAST GUIDE

Hi
Welcome to the first Ugandan Online radio and Blog DedicaTED To HipHop, Poetry and Spoken Word in the 256.

#HipHopUgandaLiveShow is our recent Podcast Show which is available for Download via NuveyLive Radio Freely.
Show include's interviews with Hip Hop Artists like St Nelly Sade, Lyrical G, The Sphynx, BaruBeatz, AJO and More. And Its Hosted By NuveySHAWN (@ayellahr)